Means of exchange.



J. E. LEAVITT.

MEANS OF EXCHANGE. APPLICATION FlLED our. 16. \915.

Patented June 4, 1918.

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JOHN E. LEAVITT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MEANS OF EXCHANGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1918.

Application filed October 16, 1915. Serial No. 56,314.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. LEAVITT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Means of Exchange, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification.

This invention relates to a means of exchange, and among other objects aims to provide a convenient, reliable and economical means for facilitating the direct trading between producers and consumers.

It has become more and more the practice for the farmer to deliver his produce directly to the consumer, thereby avoiding the middle mans profit and reducing the cost to the consumer. The adoption of the parcel-post system has promoted and increased this practice. Large packages, however, ma not be transmitted by parcel-post and consequently the cost of the produce contained in each package is small, usually less than one dollar. The sending of many such small packages to many different customers at widely scattered points has required a great deal of bookkeeping and rendered collections inconvenient and difficult. As a result, the natural growth of such trading has been greatly handicapped.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a means of exchange whereby the above objections are obviated.

The character of the invention may be best understood by reference to the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure l on an enlarged scale shows a stamp embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 shows the front face of a postal card adapted for use in connection with the stamp;

Fig. 8 shows the rear face of said postal card; and

Fig. 4: is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing exchange stamps applied to the card.

The illustrative means shown herein as embodying the invention comprises a stamp (Fig. 1) of paper or other appropriate material. The face of the stamp may be pro vided with a character or characters representing an amount of money. For example, the illustrative stamp shown herein has characters thereon representing ten cents.

These characters should be sufficiently large to be readily visualized and preferably should constitute the dominant feature of the stamp and cover a substantial part of the face thereof.

Also on said face are characters showing that an amount equivalent to the amount on the face of the stamp has been placed with a depositary and will be paid to the holder of the stamp on presentation thereof. This showing herein is in the form of a certificate bearing the signature of an ofiicer of the depositary.

As the public becomes accustomed to the use of the stamps, the necessity for the ready visualization of the certificate characters will be of relatively less importance than the ready visualization of the characters indicating the amount. Consequently, the certificate characters may be subordinated to and made much smaller than the amount characters. In fact, they may be made so small that they cannot be read without the aid of a magnifying glass.

The face of the stamp may be engraved with any appropriate decorative design which will add to the pleasing appearance thereof and render counterfeiting diflicult.

, As shown herein, the large characters denoting the amount or value of the stamp are surrounded by a wreath of acanthus leaves and above and beneath the wreath are scrolls containing the certificate. The back of the stamp may be coated with a gum to permit the securing of the stamp to a card or other means.

The illustrative stamp has been purposely shown on a greatly enlarged scale to enable the reading of the certificate thereon. The actual stamp would be preferably of substantially the same size as the usual postage stamp.

The stamps may be of different denominations from one cent up as required.

Special depositaries may be provided who shall make it their business to sell the stamps to customers and furnish them with requisition postal cards or blanks to be used for ordering the purchases. When a customer desires to make a purchase it is merely necessary for him to write his order on the card or blank and affix thereto a stamp or stamps covering the cost of the purchase. The card may then be sent to the farmer or other distributor as the case may be, whereupon he will fill the order thereon and from time to time may present the combined stamps and requisition cards which he receives to the depositary who will turn over to him an amount of cash equivalent to the value of the stamps.

In Fig. 2 is shown the front face A of an illustrative requisition postal card for receiving the address of the farmer or vender of a commodity and having spaces a and b thereon, the former for receiving the usual postage stamp and the latter for receiving exchange stamps equal to the cost of the commodity purchased. Each space may be marked to indicate the purpose thereof.

In vFig. 3 is shown the rear face B of the card having an illustrative order thereon appropriate for a vender of honey. Different quantities of the honey and the cost thereof may be tabulated thereon and circles 0 at the left of the items may be provided so that the purchaser may indicate the item desired merely by marking an X in the circle opposite thereto. Stamps d are then applied in the space Z) therefor on the face of the card equal to the cost of the amount of honey selected. The purchaser may then sign hisname and address at the foot of the order to complete the same without further inconvenience.

Thus there is provided a means whereby the direct trading between producers and consumers is greatly expedited.

Having described one illustrative embodiment of the invention Without limiting the same thereto, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A trading sheet having thereon a suitably designated space to receive an order for a commodity, a suitably designated spaceto receive a stamp or stamps equaling tie cost of the commodity, and a suitably designated space to receive the signature of the purchaser of the commodity.

2. A trading sheet having thereon a suitably designated space to receive an order for a commodity, a suitably designated space to receive a stamp or stamps equaling the cost of the commodity each having a certificate of deposit thereon, and a suitably designated space to receive the signature of the purchaser of the commodity.

3. A tradmg sheet having thereon a suitably des1gnated space to recelve an order for a commodity, a suitably designated space to receive a stamp or stamps equaling the cost of the commodity, a suitably designated space to receive the address of the vendor of the commodity, and a suitably designated space to receive the signature of the purchaser of the commodity.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name tothis specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN E. LEAVITT.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. WILLIAMS, LOUIS A. JoNns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). C. 

